Steglitz
Encyclopedia
Steglitz is a locality
of the Steglitz-Zehlendorf
borough in the south-west of Berlin
, the capital of Germany
. The locality also includes the neighbourhood of Südende.
While one Knight Henricus of Steglitz was already mentioned in a 1197 deed, the village of Steglitz was first mentioned in the 1375 Landbuch of Emperor Charles IV
, at this time also ruler of the Brandenburg Electorate
.
Steglitz witnessed the construction of the first paved Prussia
n country road, in 1792. The former village profited largely from its location on the Imperial Highway Reichsstraße 1, today Bundesstraße 1
, which follows a trading route that dates back to the Middle Ages
. The old Reichsstraße stretched from the far West of Germany through Aachen
and Cologne
to Berlin, then continued on eastward to end some two hundred miles northeast of Königsberg
in East Prussia
. The village of Steglitz was also boosted significantly with the construction of the Stammbahn line of the Prussian state railways
in 1838. This was the first railroad in Prussia and ran between Berlin and Potsdam
. The Steglitz area was included in the southern line of Berlin's rail and transit systems from around 1850.
The southwestern surroundings of Berlin saw considerable change in the second half of the 19th century when luxurious residential areas were developed in the neighboring villages of Lichterfelde and later Dahlem. Lichterfelde West
and East, founded by the entrepreneur Johann von Carstenn were developed as so called Villenkolonien, settlements made up entirely of mansions or villas. In the east the settlement of Südende (South End) was founded in 1873. In Steglitz proper a major shopping
area developed around the Schloßstraße, catering also to the wealthy villages of Lichterfelde and Dahlem. In 1901 the first Wandervogel
youth group was founded in the basement of the Steglitz town hall.
Steglitz was incorporated into the city of Greater Berlin
in 1920 together with neighboring villages. From 1920 to 2000 the administrative district IX was called Bezirk
Steglitz. During the time of the Berlin Wall
Steglitz formed part of the American Sector. In Berlin's 2001 administrative reform the Berlin southwestern area was united in the newly created borough of Steglitz-Zehlendorf, with its expensive residential developments today the most affluent of the twelve Berlin boroughs.
line S1
at the stations Feuerbachstraße
and Rathaus Steglitz as well as by the S25
at Südende. U-Bahn
connection to the inner city is provided by the U9
line with the stations Walther-Schreiber-Platz
, Schloßstraße
and Rathaus Steglitz
.
Boroughs and localities of Berlin
Berlin is both a city and one of Germany’s federal states. It is made up of twelve boroughs , each with its own borough government, though all boroughs are subject to Berlin’s city and state government.-History:Each borough is made up of several officially recognized localities...
of the Steglitz-Zehlendorf
Steglitz-Zehlendorf
Steglitz-Zehlendorf is the sixth borough of Berlin, formed in Berlin's 2001 administrative reform by merging the former boroughs of Steglitz and Zehlendorf.-Demographics:...
borough in the south-west of Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, the capital of Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. The locality also includes the neighbourhood of Südende.
History
Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles IV , born Wenceslaus , was the second king of Bohemia from the House of Luxembourg, and the first king of Bohemia to also become Holy Roman Emperor....
, at this time also ruler of the Brandenburg Electorate
Margraviate of Brandenburg
The Margraviate of Brandenburg was a major principality of the Holy Roman Empire from 1157 to 1806. Also known as the March of Brandenburg , it played a pivotal role in the history of Germany and Central Europe....
.
Steglitz witnessed the construction of the first paved Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
n country road, in 1792. The former village profited largely from its location on the Imperial Highway Reichsstraße 1, today Bundesstraße 1
Bundesstraße 1
The Bundesstraße 1 or B1 is a German federal highway running in an east-west direction from the Dutch border near Aachen to the Polish border at Küstrin-Kietz on the Oder River.-Route description:...
, which follows a trading route that dates back to the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
. The old Reichsstraße stretched from the far West of Germany through Aachen
Aachen
Aachen has historically been a spa town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Aachen was a favoured residence of Charlemagne, and the place of coronation of the Kings of Germany. Geographically, Aachen is the westernmost town of Germany, located along its borders with Belgium and the Netherlands, ...
and Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
to Berlin, then continued on eastward to end some two hundred miles northeast of Königsberg
Königsberg
Königsberg was the capital of East Prussia from the Late Middle Ages until 1945 as well as the northernmost and easternmost German city with 286,666 inhabitants . Due to the multicultural society in and around the city, there are several local names for it...
in East Prussia
East Prussia
East Prussia is the main part of the region of Prussia along the southeastern Baltic Coast from the 13th century to the end of World War II in May 1945. From 1772–1829 and 1878–1945, the Province of East Prussia was part of the German state of Prussia. The capital city was Königsberg.East Prussia...
. The village of Steglitz was also boosted significantly with the construction of the Stammbahn line of the Prussian state railways
Prussian state railways
The term Prussian state railways encompasses those railway organisations that were owned or managed by the State of Prussia...
in 1838. This was the first railroad in Prussia and ran between Berlin and Potsdam
Potsdam
Potsdam is the capital city of the German federal state of Brandenburg and part of the Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region. It is situated on the River Havel, southwest of Berlin city centre....
. The Steglitz area was included in the southern line of Berlin's rail and transit systems from around 1850.
The southwestern surroundings of Berlin saw considerable change in the second half of the 19th century when luxurious residential areas were developed in the neighboring villages of Lichterfelde and later Dahlem. Lichterfelde West
Lichterfelde West
Lichterfelde West is part of Lichterfelde in the Steglitz-Zehlendorf borough of Berlin. It was developed from 1860 through 1900 by a wealthy businessman Carstenn from Hamburg and is a remarkable example of 19th-century Villenkolonie, a German concept of settlements completely made up of mansion...
and East, founded by the entrepreneur Johann von Carstenn were developed as so called Villenkolonien, settlements made up entirely of mansions or villas. In the east the settlement of Südende (South End) was founded in 1873. In Steglitz proper a major shopping
Shopping
Shopping is the examining of goods or services from retailers with the intent to purchase at that time. Shopping is an activity of selection and/or purchase. In some contexts it is considered a leisure activity as well as an economic one....
area developed around the Schloßstraße, catering also to the wealthy villages of Lichterfelde and Dahlem. In 1901 the first Wandervogel
Wandervogel
Wandervogel is the name adopted by a popular movement of German youth groups from 1896 onward. The name can be translated as rambling, hiking or wandering bird and the ethos is to shake off the restrictions of society and get back to nature and freedom...
youth group was founded in the basement of the Steglitz town hall.
Steglitz was incorporated into the city of Greater Berlin
Greater Berlin Act
The Greater Berlin Act , in full the Law Regarding the Reconstruction of the New Local Authority of Berlin , was a law passed by the Prussian government in 1920 that greatly expanded the size of the German capital of Berlin.-History:...
in 1920 together with neighboring villages. From 1920 to 2000 the administrative district IX was called Bezirk
Stadtbezirk
A Stadtbezirk is a form of German city district, an administrative unit within a larger city. In Germany Stadtbezirke usually only exist in a metropolis with more than 150,000 inhabitants....
Steglitz. During the time of the Berlin Wall
Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall was a barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic starting on 13 August 1961, that completely cut off West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin...
Steglitz formed part of the American Sector. In Berlin's 2001 administrative reform the Berlin southwestern area was united in the newly created borough of Steglitz-Zehlendorf, with its expensive residential developments today the most affluent of the twelve Berlin boroughs.
Points of interest
- Gutshaus Steglitz (Steglitz Manor), a NeoclassicalNeoclassical architectureNeoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
building designed by David GillyDavid GillyDavid Gilly was a German architect and architecture-tutor in Prussia, the father of the architect Friedrich Gilly.-Life:...
in 1801, which since 1921 housed the small Schlossparktheater, one of the former Berlin state theatres, that nevertheless finally closed in 2006 http://www.suedwestweb-berlin.de/struktur/b_indiv/steglitz_gutshaus_02.jpg - The Schloßstraße, the second largest shopping area in Berlin after KurfürstendammKurfürstendammThe Kurfürstendamm, known locally as the Ku'damm, is one of the most famous avenues in Berlin. The street takes its name from the former Kurfürsten of Brandenburg. This very broad, long boulevard can be considered the Champs-Élysées of Berlin — full of shops, houses, hotels and restaurants...
and TauentzienstraßeTauentzienstraßeTauentzienstraße is a major shopping street in the western part of Berlin, Germany. It is approximately 500 metres long and lies between two important squares, Wittenbergplatz and Breitscheidplatz...
, including Forum Steglitz, one of Germany's first shopping mallShopping mallA shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
s opened in 1970 - Neo-GothicGothic Revival architectureThe Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
Steglitz town hall, erected in 1898 http://www.berlin.de/ba-steglitz-zehlendorf/rathaus_stg.jpg - LutheranLutheranismLutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...
Matthäuskirche, built in 1880 - CatholicCatholicismCatholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
Rosary church from 1900, which received the title of a basilicaBasilicaThe Latin word basilica , was originally used to describe a Roman public building, usually located in the forum of a Roman town. Public basilicas began to appear in Hellenistic cities in the 2nd century BC.The term was also applied to buildings used for religious purposes...
in 1950 - The notorious Steglitzer Kreisel, a 119 m (390 ft) highrise erected between 1968 and 1980. Before the construction was finished the developing company became insolvent in 1974, leaving a ruin in Steglitz' centre until the works were resumed in 1977. To avoid further vacancy the borough's administration moved in, but had to leave the building in 2007 due to a contamination with asbestosAsbestosAsbestos is a set of six naturally occurring silicate minerals used commercially for their desirable physical properties. They all have in common their eponymous, asbestiform habit: long, thin fibrous crystals...
. The building includes the Berlin U-BahnBerlin U-BahnThe Berlin is a rapid transit railway in Berlin, the capital city of Germany, and is a major part of the public transport system of that city. Opened in 1902, the serves 173 stations spread across ten lines, with a total track length of , about 80% of which is underground...
station Rathaus SteglitzRathaus Steglitz (Berlin U-Bahn)Berlin Rathaus Steglitz is a railway station on the Wannsee Railway in the district of Steglitz in Berlin, Germany. It is served by the Berlin S-Bahn, Berlin U-Bahn and numerous local bus lines....
, a bus stationBus stationA bus station is a structure where city or intercity buses stop to pick up and drop off passengers. It is larger than a bus stop, which is usually simply a place on the roadside, where buses can stop...
and a multi-storey car park - The BierpinselBierpinselBierpinsel is the name of a building with a restaurant in the Steglitz neighborhood of Berlin. It has a height of 46 meters with a shape resembling that of an observation tower - the original architectural idea was that of a tree shape. It was built from 1972 to 1976.The building has three floors...
("Beer Brush"), a tavern in a tower on Schlossstraße with an interesting architectural style built in 1976 - Villenkolonie Lichterfelde WestLichterfelde WestLichterfelde West is part of Lichterfelde in the Steglitz-Zehlendorf borough of Berlin. It was developed from 1860 through 1900 by a wealthy businessman Carstenn from Hamburg and is a remarkable example of 19th-century Villenkolonie, a German concept of settlements completely made up of mansion...
, historical district of 19th century mansion houses and cobbled streets in the adjacent Lichterfelde district - Titania-Palast, a large cinema erected in 1928 in New ObjectivityNew Objectivity (architecture)The New Objectivity is a name often given to the Modern architecture that emerged in Europe, primarily German-speaking Europe, in the 1920s and 30s. It is also frequently called Neues Bauen...
style. On May 26, 1945 it was the site of the first concert of the Berlin Philharmonic orchestra after World War II. On June 6, 1951 it saw the opening ceremony of the first Berlin International Film FestivalBerlin International Film FestivalThe Berlin International Film Festival , also called the Berlinale, is one of the world's leading film festivals and most reputable media events. It is held in Berlin, Germany. Founded in West Berlin in 1951, the festival has been celebrated annually in February since 1978... - The Fichtenberg hill, highest point in Steglitz, 68 m (223 ft).
- The Grundschule am Insulaner is an elementary and middle school near Südende.
- Die Spiegelwand - Mirrored Wall - is a Holocaust Memorial with the names and addresses of 1700 Jews in the Steglitz area who were deported and murdered in Nazi concentration camps. Take either U-Bahn or S-Bahn to Rathaus-Steglitz. The Memorial is right across the street from the Station.
Transportation
Steglitz is served by the Berlin S-BahnBerlin S-Bahn
The Berlin S-Bahn is a rapid transit system in and around Berlin, the capital city of Germany. It consists of 15 lines and is integrated with the mostly underground U-Bahn to form the backbone of Berlin's rapid transport system...
line S1
S1 (Berlin)
The S1 is a line on the Berlin S-Bahn. It operates over:*the Prussian Northern Railway, opened on 10 July 1877 and electrified in 1925,*a short section of the Berlin-Szczecin railway, opened on 1 August 1842 and electrified in 1924,...
at the stations Feuerbachstraße
Berlin Feuerbachstraße railway station
S-Bhf. Berlin Feuerbachstraße is a railway station in the Steglitz locality of Berlin, Germany. It is served by the Berlin S-Bahn and several local bus lines.-External links:*...
and Rathaus Steglitz as well as by the S25
S25 (Berlin)
S25 is a line on the Berlin S-Bahn. It operates from Teltow Stadt to Hennigsdorf over:*the Anhalt Suburban Line, opened on 1 December 1901, electrified in 1929 and extended to Lichterfelde Süd in 1943 and Teltow Stadt in February 2005,...
at Südende. U-Bahn
Berlin U-Bahn
The Berlin is a rapid transit railway in Berlin, the capital city of Germany, and is a major part of the public transport system of that city. Opened in 1902, the serves 173 stations spread across ten lines, with a total track length of , about 80% of which is underground...
connection to the inner city is provided by the U9
U9 (Berlin U-Bahn)
U9 is a line on the Berlin U-Bahn. The line was opened on 28 August 1961 as Line G.-References:...
line with the stations Walther-Schreiber-Platz
Walther-Schreiber-Platz (Berlin U-Bahn)
Walther-Schreiber-Platz is a Berlin U-Bahn station located on the .-Overview:The station is located in Friedenau, close to the borders with Steglitz....
, Schloßstraße
Schloßstraße (Berlin U-Bahn)
Schloßstraße is a Berlin U-Bahn station located on the .With its visible concrete walls partially covered by dark blue, orange and yellow plastic panels, this station is a brilliant example of the 1970s pop-art design....
and Rathaus Steglitz
Rathaus Steglitz (Berlin U-Bahn)
Berlin Rathaus Steglitz is a railway station on the Wannsee Railway in the district of Steglitz in Berlin, Germany. It is served by the Berlin S-Bahn, Berlin U-Bahn and numerous local bus lines....
.